Enacting the Law Only After Something Happens?

After the so-called garbage dumpling incident, the government has been pushing through the enactment of the “Basic Law on Food Safety” as its main solution, but it was revealed that the draft of this bill was already completed three years ago but had been neglected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).

The draft includes measures such as the creation of a “National Food Safety Commission,” which would control and monitor overall food safety, and other measures which have been recently announced by the government, raising criticism that the MOHW’s delayed bureaucracy played a role in food safety problems.

Such facts have been brought to light with MOHW documents submitted to the National Assembly Health and Welfare Commission member, Chun Jae-hee (GNP).

The MOHW entrusted “Research Service for the Enactment of the Basic Law on Food Safety” to the government-funded KHIDI (Korea Health Industry Development Institute) in May 2000, and the KHIDI submitted a draft composed of 37 articles on June 2001. This draft includes most of the comprehensive food safety measures presented by the government last month.

The government announced last month, “We plan to establish a ‘Food Safety Policy Commission,’ under the control of the prime minister, where the minister of Health and Welfare and the minister of Agriculture and Forestry would participate in integrating control of food monitoring functions spread among ministries.”

Nevertheless, articles 13-16 of the draft dealing with the establishment, function, composition, and operation of the commission stipulate, “In order to consult and decide on major issues concerning the establishment of food safety foundation and build a unified food safety management system, a National Food Safety Commission shall be created under control of the prime minister.”

Furthermore, according to articles 18 and 19, ministers of ministries related to food should annually create a unified food-monitoring plan through consultations with the National Food Safety Commissioner.

The draft also includes other measures such as opening to the public using Internet information on delinquent food, creating a food safety control institute to analyze the hazards of delinquent food, founding a food safety fund, and safety control of GMO food and other newly created foods.

The MOHW did not even consult with concerned ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and is now attempting to enact the Basic Law on Food Safety based on this draft, which was completed three years ago. An officer of the MOHW said, “At the time, the draft was created to prepare a guideline on food safety,” and added, “However, we were so busy with the separation of dispensary from medical practice that we had difficulties enacting the draft.”

National Assembly Member Chun criticized, “The government had produced an important law for food safety but did not enact it, causing the garbage dumpling incident.”

Tae-Hoon Lee jefflee@donga.com